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Nature

A Two-fer Coming UP! Double the Meteors, Double the Magic!

meteor shower image created in Dall-eLong-time readers know the night sky has my heart. And on July 30, it’s putting on a rare twin show!

The Southern Delta Aquarids and Alpha Capricornids are hitting their peak at the same time. They may not be the brightest showers of summer, but two for the price of one? That’s a celestial bargain!

So mark your calendar, and then grab a blanket, find some dark sky, and look up. You’re bound to be rewarded with a shooting star … Read More

Summer’s Unfolding

The cherries are ripe and ready for picking in the food forest, each one a small burst of sweetness and color. The mulberries are not far behind, still blushing their way toward deep purple perfection. Overhead, sunlight streams through slow-moving clouds.

This is the gentle unfolding of summer. Not a sudden arrival, but a gradual opening. A quiet reminder to savor what ripens in its own time.

Ripe—Cherries

cherry bush with loads of cherries

Almost Ripe—Mulberries (with raspberries not far behind)

mulberry tree with almost ripe berries

Magical—Summer Light… Read More

Unexpected Visitors

There’s something extraordinary about getting to share my little patch of earth with the wild creatures who also call it home.  I especially love the wide variety of birds that appear. Each day brings something new. Recently, I had two uncommon encounters that are out of character for here.

Today, it was a huge bald eagle that was gazing at me while enjoying his breakfast snatched from our pond.

bald eagle

Early morning coffee on the deck is often rewarded with something … Read More

If There Ever Was a Time to Start Growing Your Own Food, That Time is Now.

homegrown organic raspberries and concord grapesUnless you’ve been living under a rock, you, too, are shocked and dismayed at the rapid rise in food costs. But there is a way we can all fight back that’s not only good for our wallets but our bodies, too.

This is one day’s haul from my grape and berry patch: 3.5 lbs of raspberries and 4.75 lbs of Concord grapes.

Let’s do the math.

Today’s price for 6 oz of organic store-bought raspberries is roughly $5.99, and for … Read More

Best Zucchini Recipes

Even if you don’t have your own garden, if your car’s been unlocked, you’ve probably been anonymously gifted with enough zucchini to feed an army. We gardeners like to share the wealth, as it were…

I’m here to help save the day. I have two recipes that are guaranteed to have everyone in your family (even your vegetable-hating kids) loving zucchini and asking for more. No joke.

Without further ado:

zucchini-pie.jpg

Zucchini Cauliflower Pie

I know, it sounds positively awful — … Read More

Gardening When You’re Too Busy & the Best Strawberry Rhubarb Recipe Ever

raised bed gardenI used to have a quarter-acre vegetable garden. Back when I had time. But those days appear to be in the rearview mirror.

So, what’s a dirt lover to do when they don’t have the time to full-on garden?

Go with raised beds and perennials.

Garlic is a given—I’ve been using my own bulbs, which I cultivated starting back when Cait was still a toddler. While not technically a perennial, it’s super easy to grow. Plant in the fall. Harvest … Read More

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